International Coastal Clean Up Singapore 2010

By Irene Millar Since 1986, volunteers in 70‐100 countries around the world invest the third Sat morning in September collecting, categorising and counting trash! This is the 19th year of Singapore participating in this event with between 2,000 ‐ 3,000 volunteers rolling up their sleeves to clean our coastline. It may surprise many readers to know that despite Singapore’s reputation as a Clean and Green City, Singapore, like the rest of the world, is effected by the impact of a global pandemic – trash being thrown “away”. Unfortunately, “away” turns out to be our coastline, whether that coastline is Singapore, Scotland or anywhere in between, we are all affected by it. Why is trash in and around our shoreline such an important issue? According to the Coral Reef Alliance, trash kills coral reef animals. Floating trash can cover reefs, blocking off sunlight that polyps need to survive. Turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. Plastic blocks the turtle's digestive tract, causing them to starve to death. Lost or discarded fishing nets can snag on reefs and strangle thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine mammals. Coral reefs are vitally important to us as they provide: Income: Billions of dollars and millions of jobs in more than 100 countries around the world Food: For commercial fishing enterprises and for people living near coral reefs, especially on small islands Protection: A natural barrier protecting coastal cities, communities, and beaches Medicine: Potential treatments for many of the world's most prevalent and dangerous illnesses and diseases as well as being home to more than 1 million diverse aquatic species, including thousands of fish species. In Singapore 60% of our coral reefs have been lost, out of our remaining reefs, 70% are degraded and none are protected. Without cleaning our shoreline, the rubbish accumulating there is likely to find its way into the sea and to damage what little coral reef we have remaining in Singapore. This year Eco Leadership was again joined by Walt Disney International Television and in their first year participating in this event in Singapore, Unilever. Our task was to clean as much trash as possible from Changi Beach. This is a stretch of beach that is regularly cleaned by the National Environment Agency (NEA), would we find any trash to pick up? Despite the great job that NEA does, unfortunately, the answer was a resounding Yes. Within an hour our two teams managed to collect 106kg of trash, that’s equivalent to two people! The trash collected mainly consisted of cigarette butts and Styrofoam pieces. These items are thrown ”away” by everyday people like you and me who have not yet connected that their actions impact on our local environment. These small insidious items resemble food to animals and birds that can die from eating them. Disney, always keen competitors, cleared the highest trash weight in our clean up zone.  Mai Tatoy, Outreach Coordinator, Southeast Asia, The Walt Disney Company said: It’s amazing how every little effort counts in preserving our environment and we’re pleased that we have done our bit during 2010 International Coastal Cleanup Day. This is the second year we’ve participated, and we’re still learning about the plight of the earth and what we can do – both individually and collectively – to save our planet. Prakash N, who is the Business Partnering & Innovation Director, Finance AAC IT at Unilever stated: Unilever has always been a business driven by the need for sustainable development. Engaging our employees is also a key aspect of our business; as such we have ongoing initiatives that involve our employees to practice reduction, reuse and recycling, as well as to raise awareness and motivate behavioral change. Wherever possible, we participate in activity in and with the local communities, as shaping the well‐being of society and the environment are up to each of us as individuals. The participation also heightens awareness of the social, environmental and economic issues that a community faces. With International Coastal Cleanup, we strongly felt a need to participate and educate ourselves so that we as individuals can understand the behaviors that allow trash to reach the ocean in the first place. This activity is particularly relevant to Unilever, as water sustainability and environmental well‐being is one of our key Corporate Social Responsibility thrusts. The team walked away with a great sense of achievement, knowing that their action in Singapore was contributing towards a global change in environmental and marine conservation. Small actions make a big difference. It’s difficult to come face to face with what we as a species are doing to our planet and not change to more planet friendly behaviour. Certainly after picking up 918 cigarette butts, the smokers in our group will be disposing of these more carefully in the future! The International Coastal Clean Up Day is an opportunity, once a year, to clean our coasts, importantly it is also an opportunity to count and record the trash that we find. This simple activity has the power to change government legislation as well as to bring us, as individuals, face to face with the impact of our daily habits and to decide to make more sustainable choices. Individuals who volunteer their time and are supported by their organisations are leading the way in changing their own behaviour, cleaning up our planet and having fun doing it. The writer thanks Walt Disney International Television, Unilever and all the other volunteers globally who make this a very special annual event. Photos from the events: Unilever: http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0096009/photos/ecorah/sets/72157625002851522/ Disney: http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0091009/photos/ecorah/sets/72157624878339247/ Irene Millar is the CoFounder of Eco Leadership. Utilising extensive experience gained in the corporate world and a professional training background, Irene is working with organisations to create more sustainable businesses. Contact her on Irene@EcoLeadershipTraining.com

By Irene Millar

Since 1986, volunteers in 70‐100 countries around the world invest the third Sat morning in September collecting, categorising and counting trash! This is the 19th year of Singapore participating in this event with between 2,000 ‐ 3,000 volunteers rolling up their sleeves to clean our coastline.

It may surprise many readers to know that despite Singapore’s reputation as a Clean and Green City, Singapore, like the rest of the world, is effected by the impact of a global pandemic – trash being thrown “away”. Unfortunately, “away” turns out to be our coastline, whether that coastline is Singapore, Scotland or anywhere in between, we are all affected by it.

Why is trash in and around our shoreline such an important issue?

According to the Coral Reef Alliance, trash kills coral reef animals. Floating trash can cover reefs, blocking off sunlight that polyps need to survive. Turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them. Plastic blocks the turtle’s digestive tract, causing them to starve to death. Lost or discarded fishing nets can snag on reefs and strangle thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.

Coral reefs are vitally important to us as they provide:

• Income: Billions of dollars and millions of jobs in more than 100 countries around the world
• Food: For commercial fishing enterprises and for people living near coral reefs, especially on small islands
• Protection: A natural barrier protecting coastal cities, communities, and beaches Medicine: Potential treatments for many of the world’s most prevalent and dangerous illnesses and diseases as well as being home to more than 1 million diverse aquatic species, including thousands of fish species.

In Singapore 60% of our coral reefs have been lost, out of our remaining reefs, 70% are degraded and none are protected. Without cleaning our shoreline, the rubbish accumulating there is likely to find its way into the sea and to damage what little coral reef we have remaining in Singapore.

This year Eco Leadership was again joined by Walt Disney International Television and in their first year participating in this event in Singapore, Unilever. Our task was to clean as much trash as possible from Changi Beach. This is a stretch of beach that is regularly cleaned by the National Environment Agency (NEA), would we find any trash to pick up?

Despite the great job that NEA does, unfortunately, the answer was a resounding Yes. Within an hour our two teams managed to collect 106kg of trash, that’s equivalent to two people! The trash collected mainly consisted of cigarette butts and Styrofoam pieces. These items are thrown ”away” by everyday people like you and me who have not yet connected that their actions impact on our local environment.

These small insidious items resemble food to animals and birds that can die from eating them. Disney, always keen competitors, cleared the highest trash weight in our clean up zone.  Mai Tatoy, Outreach Coordinator, Southeast Asia, The Walt Disney Company said:

It’s amazing how every little effort counts in preserving our environment and we’re pleased that we have done our bit during 2010 International Coastal Cleanup Day. This is the second year we’ve participated, and we’re still learning about the plight of the earth and what we can do – both individually and collectively – to save our planet.

Prakash N, who is the Business Partnering & Innovation Director, Finance AAC IT at Unilever stated:

Unilever has always been a business driven by the need for sustainable development. Engaging our employees is also a key aspect of our business; as such we have ongoing initiatives that involve our employees to practice reduction, reuse and recycling, as well as to raise awareness and motivate behavioral change. Wherever possible, we participate in activity in and with the local communities, as shaping the well‐being of society and the environment are up to each of us as individuals. The participation also heightens awareness of the social, environmental and economic issues that a community faces. With International Coastal Cleanup, we strongly felt a need to participate and educate ourselves so that we as individuals can understand the behaviors that allow trash to reach the ocean in the first place. This activity is particularly relevant to Unilever, as water sustainability and environmental well‐being is one of our key Corporate Social Responsibility thrusts.

The team walked away with a great sense of achievement, knowing that their action in Singapore was contributing towards a global change in environmental and marine conservation. Small actions make a big difference.

It’s difficult to come face to face with what we as a species are doing to our planet and not change to more planet friendly behaviour. Certainly after picking up 918 cigarette butts, the smokers in our group will be disposing of these more carefully in the future!

The International Coastal Clean Up Day is an opportunity, once a year, to clean our coasts, importantly it is also an opportunity to count and record the trash that we find. This simple activity has the power to change government legislation as well as to bring us, as individuals, face to face with the impact of our daily habits and to decide to make more sustainable choices.

Individuals who volunteer their time and are supported by their organisations are leading the way in changing their own behaviour, cleaning up our planet and having fun doing it.

The writer thanks Walt Disney International Television, Unilever and all the other volunteers globally who make this a very special annual event.

Photos from the events:

Unilever: http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0096009/photos/ecorah/sets/72157625002851522/

Disney: http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0091009/photos/ecorah/sets/72157624878339247/

Irene Millar is the CoFounder of Eco Leadership. Utilising extensive experience gained in the corporate world and a professional training background, Irene is working with organisations to create more sustainable businesses. Contact her on Irene@EcoLeadershipTraining.com